{
  "id": 2969209,
  "title": "Protected species",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/protected-species",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-24T06:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Emerging Europe",
    "slug": "emerging-europe",
    "url": "https://emerging-europe.com/protected-species/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The taxi trade often contends with ride-hailing services through the use of legislation, framing it as a matter of fair competition. Various cities face issues such as inefficient airports, unreliable public transport, and the inability to hail ride-hailing services like Uber or Bolt. Traditional taxi associations often influence local councils to maintain their dominance. In the Hungarian capital of Budapest, in 2016, taxi drivers blocked roads demanding Uber's prohibition. Hungary's government subsequently banned Uber apps, leading the service to withdraw in 2024, partnering only with a cab company. Germany and Italy have similar partnerships between ride-hailing firms and licensed rental car companies. In Catalonia, Barcelona is considering reducing private-hire licenses from 900 to 300. While ride-hailing apps have brought innovation in various aspects, the cab industry has mostly resorted to protests and legislation, rather than embracing change. Notably, London's iconic black cabs, despite facing legal challenges from ride-hailing companies, have managed to retain their appeal among tourists, thanks to their unique knowledge and status.",
  "summary": "The taxi trade rarely answers ride-hailing with a better cab. Where it can, it answers with the statute book, and calls it fair competition. There are plenty of things that make any arrival in a new city far more annoying than it should be. An inefficient airport that takes hours to process passengers (an increasingly […] Protected species was originally published on Emerging Europe .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}